Texting While Driving

[Park]

Yesterday my wife and I were on our way home from shopping and while crossing the Delaware Memorial Bridge a car started drifting in our lane. After blowing the horn and being driven out of my lane I pulled along side the car looked over and here was a young lady texting away and she never lifted her head from the cell phone and continued to text only looking up briefly to look at the road.

I just wonder what she would say if she hit someone head on and killed them "sorry"!!

It seems to me that the laws for texting while driving should be as strict as the DUI laws and a loss of licensee for six months should be imposed for the first offense.

Sorry for the rant but I had to share this to lower my blood pressure.

[ajlcal]

I agree with the OP 100%. I was following a car the other day that was all over the road. I thought it was a very drunk driver. Several cars and an 18 wheeler was almost forced off the road by this car. It turns out that the person was texting. I don't get the obsession with texting.

[Ramblin]

I agree. Texting while driving should carry a stiff penalty. It should be fairly easy to prove texting contributed to an accident assuming the authorities would get the send/receive logs from the cell provider.

Better yet, cell phone manufacturers should offer up a technological solution. I think, since all modern cell phones have GPS capability (as part of the 911 reporting function) you should be able to turn the texting function off if the phone is moving faster than 10mph, and keep them disabled until the phone has been below 10mph for 5 minutes. That'll solve the problem.

[jwomack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Park It seems to me that the laws for texting while driving should be as strict as the DUI laws and a loss of licensee for six months should be imposed for the first offense.

You're too lenient. Mandatory jail time (without cell phone) also.

[GG1]

When you see an idiot like that on the road and the term idiot is mild from what they really are get their license plate # a description of the car and driver if possible, usually all states have an aggressive driver phone #, call the # and let them know the car is running cars off the road, make sure you have the exact location and direction of travel. If there is no aggressive driver # call 911 and give them the same info.

[Ramblin]

Gallagher (the comedian) says everyone should have suction-cup guns that fire darts with 'IDIOT' flags. When a cop sees a car with 100 IDIOT flags on it, pull em over and give em a ticket.

[hondo122]

98% of the time when someone is driving erratically when I 'm on the road some form of cell phone use is the cause, yesterday it was a fool on a hands free talking with his hands flailing about wildly, totally oblivious of the highway.

[RustyJC]

I've reached the point where I wince every time I see a vehicle in my vicinity with a driver who has a cellphone glued to his/her ear, let alone texting. You just can't anticipate what they're going to do next.

Our company has finally instituted a policy that cellphone use by the driver is absolutely prohibited in any company vehicle, rental vehicle or personal vehicle subject to mileage reimbursement while in motion. In the event of an accident, they will automatically check the time of the accident against cellphone usage logs. Implementation of that policy was long overdue in my opinion.

Rusty

[baraff]

If I ever get hit by someone texting and driving, I can tell you that I will file charges for assault AND I will file the biggest lawsuit I can against the texter. If the law can't or won't enforce the anti-texting laws I will.
This is assuming I'm not killed, in which case it will be a manslaughter charge.

[bsirby]

When we are passing someone oblivious texting or talking on the cell phone, we are very tempted to sit on the horn. I'm just afraid doing that will startle them so much they loose control of the vehicle.
Last year a woman with a child in the car was stopped on a RR crossing. She was texting and not paying attention. The train killed them both. How sad is that....
What I don't understand is, what is so important that you can't wait until you get home or stopped??????

[TXiceman]

Darwin will prove the the gene pool will be self regulating......I just hope that one of the idiots does not take me with them. I spend 80% of my time driveing to avoid the idiots and 20% driving for me.

Ken

[W4MBG]

i text and drive all the time! in fact, i am doing both right now. never had a probl

[Pigman1]

If you were headed toward Delaware you should have had the wife call 911. DE is a "no texting and hands free phone only" state and the cops are pushing it. Good thing too. I would have been interested in seeing the stop. The administrative building is right by the toll booths, and the DRBA cops wouldn't have even had to get into a car if they were fast!!

[Aguyfromcalg]

Texting while driving is now illegal in the Province of Alberta under the Distracted Drivers Law. As well as using any hand held mobile device, eating, personal grooming.